Dear NASET News,

Welcome toNASET'sWEEK in REVIEW. Here, we provide you with the latest publications fromNASETto read and or download, as well as some of the most interesting articles that have happened this week in the field of special education. We hope you enjoy this publication. Feel free to send us articles for this publication or let us know your thoughts about theWEEK in REVIEWatnews@naset.org.Have a great weekend.Sincerely,

NASETNews Team

NASET Sponsor - SJU

New This Week on NASET

NASET's Q&A Corner Series #69

When the IEP Team Meets

IEP teams are made up of individuals who bring different perspectives and expertise to the table. Pooling their knowledge, team members set out to craft an individualized response to a specific child's needs, taking into account that same child's strengths and talents. There's a lot of information shared at IEP meetings, and a lot of discussion. The end product is the child's individualized education program. This issue of NASET's Q&A Corner describes how the IEP meeting is scheduled, who comes, and the factors team members must consider when writing an IEP.

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How To Determine the Criteria for Accommodations and Modifications

Introduction

This How to Series provides a worksheet to help you determine which criteria to use to make recommendations for accommodations and recommendations. These recommendations are usually made at the initial meeting where the child is first classified or at Annual Review meetings.

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How To Compose Letters to Staff and Parents

Introduction

There will be times when you will need to compose letters for meetings or initial contact with staff and parents. ThisHow to Seriesprovides examples of letters that you can use if you need to set up a meeting, introduce yourself, or provide parents with information.

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See NASET's Latest Job Listings

Fitness May Help Ward Off Depression in Girls

The more fit middle-school girls are, the less likely they may be to develop symptoms of depression, according to a recent study. Although the effect of fitness on depression was small, improvements in fitness may be part of an overall strategy for reducing the risk of depression in middle-schoolers, according to Camilo Ruggero, lead researcher and an assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Texas. Other strategies might include school-based or family therapy, which can both treat and help prevent depression in at-risk kids. "Fitness is not a cure-all, but it's a small piece of a larger problem," said Ruggero. He noted that depression is also linked to a higher body mass index (BMI), a measurement used to assess if a person has a healthy weight for their height. In addition, middle school is a time when fitness levels drop off, weight increases and depression increases. "That's why we're so focused on that period," he said. To read more,click here

Autism Act Wins Senate Approval

Just before leaving Washington for a month-long break, the U.S. Senate acted to renew the nation's primary autism legislation, sending the measure to the president's desk. The autism bill was approved by unanimous consent late Thursday night. The move comes after the legislation, which cleared the U.S. House of Representatives in June, had been held up for weeks as some advocacy groups working as the Autism Policy Reform Coalition called for changes to the measure. Known as the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support Act, or Autism CARES, the bill authorizes $260 million in federal funding annually through 2019 for autism-related programs. To read more,click here

NASET Sponsor - Boardmaker Online

Scientists Inch Closer Toward Using Stem Cells for Spinal Injuries

In a step toward using stem cells to treat paralysis, scientists were able to use cells from an elderly man's skin to regrow nerve connections in rats with damaged spinal cords. Reporting in the Aug. 7 online issue of Neuron, researchers say the human stem cells triggered the growth of numerous axons -- the fibers that extend from the body of a neuron (nerve cell) to send electrical impulses to other cells. Some axons even reached the animals' brains, according to the team led by Dr. Mark Tuszynski, a professor of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego. "This degree of growth in axons has not been appreciated before," Tuszynski said. But he cautioned that there is still much to be learned about how the new nerve fibers behave in laboratory animals. To read more,click here

NASET MEMBER'S BENEFIT -

Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET Members

Through an agreement with The American Academy of Special Education Professionals(AASEP), NASET members now have the opportunity to achieve AASEP Board Certification in Special Education - (B.C.S.E.) at a reduced fee. AASEP Board Certification in Special Education - (B.C.S.E.) is a voluntary choice on the part of the candidate. The candidate for Board Certification wishes to demonstrate a commitment to excellence to employers, peers, administrators, other professionals, and parents. From the standpoint of the Academy, board certification will demonstrate the highest professional competency in the area of special education. Board Certification in Special Educationestablishes a much needed standard for professionals, across disciplines, who work with exceptional children.

For more information on Board Certification in Special Education,click here

White House Gala Honors Special Olympics

Katy Perry and Stevie Wonder were just a few of the celebrities on hand at a White House gala honoring Special Olympics. The Thursday evening event hosted by the president and first lady saluted the nearly 50-year-old organization that promotes athletics and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities around the world. Guests including Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Andy Roddick, Maria Shriver and Special Olympics athletes from as far away as Namibia dined in the East Room and were treated to a concert from pop star Perry, who attended with her mom. "It is not often that you get Dikembe Mutombo, Steve Case, Stevie Wonder all in the same room," President Barack Obama said. "In fact, that may be the first time that they were ever in the same sentence." To read more,click here

Coaching May Help Diabetics Battle Depression, Disease Better

Mental health coaching may help diabetes patients with depression and with lowering their blood sugar levels, a new study suggests. Many people with diabetes suffer depression, which can interfere with their ability to manage their diabetes through monitoring blood sugar levels, being active, eating healthy and taking their medications, the researchers noted. This study included diabetes patients in a rural, low-income area of central North Carolina. Nearly 16 percent of people in this area have diabetes, compared with 10 percent of people nationally. Thirty percent of these diabetes patients have depression and 65 percent are poor, the study authors wrote. To read more,click here

Students with Special Needs Turn Experiences into Documentaries

Some students at Legacy High School say they don't always have the easiest time communicating.

I get, like, a little nervous and I'm not that confident," says student Caroline Adusei. So this summer, they're working on that-and many other skills-by taking out a camera and making movies. "To use a very particular medium-film and video-to kind of transmit an idea or to express themselves or to reinvent themselves in front of the camera, I just think it's a really positive experience," says Brian Paccione of My Block NYC. Twice a week, the students, who all have special needs, walk about a mile from their school to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park. They're split into groups, each focused on one of the freedoms from Roosevelt's famous speech. To read more,click here

NASET Sponsor - Lane Bryant

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Guess the answer to this week's trivia question and we'll recognize you in next week's Week in Review.

who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question: Fill in the blank: According to the latest research in the field from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, women who are obese during pregnancy may be more likely to have children with ______ than normal-weight mothers. Compared with children born from mothers of normal weight, those whose mothers were overweight or obese during pregnancy had up to 20 to 30 percent higher odds of having this health impairment. ANSWER: ASTHMA

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:

A revamped version of the blue and white icon that's long symbolized accessibility everywhere from parking lots to restrooms will soon be commonplace in more communities. Under a bill signed a few weeks ago, which state will become the first state to require all new and replacement signage used to signify accessibility for people with disabilities to include a more active, in-motion image of a person using a wheelchair? (Note: The state will also change the terminology on such signs, employing the word "accessible" instead of "handicapped.")

All answers must be submitted no later than Monday, August 11, 2014 at 12:00 p.m.

NASET Sponsor - Purdue University

Pride Over Weight Loss May Help Drive Anorexia

Women with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa feel a sense of pride about their weight loss, and this positive emotion may play a major role in the deadly condition, according to a new study. "What we think happens is that positive emotions become exaggerated and are rewarding these maladaptive behaviors," study author Edward Selby, an assistant professor in the psychology department at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., said in a university news release. Over two weeks, the researchers assessed the emotional states of 118 women, ages 18-58, being treated for anorexia nervosa. Along with negative emotions, the women also felt positive about being able to meet or exceed their weight-loss goals. To read more,click here

FDA May Ban Shock Devices Used At Canton Special Needs School

The Judge Rotenberg Educational Center in Canton, Massachusetts, is the only special needs school in the country that utilizes electric shocks to control its students. That may soon change. According to CBS News, the Food and Drug Administration is now considering a ban on the same electronic devices that caused an uproar in 2012, when tape depicting Rotenberg Center teachers shocking a student 31 times during a 7 hour period surfaced. Andre McCollins, then 17, suffered burns and sued the school for repeatedly administering the punishment while he was restrained on a wooden board. The case has since settled out of court and the Rotenberg Center told CBS it no longer uses the restraint boards. To read more,click here

Childhood Urinary Tract Infection May Bring Lasting Harm to Kidneys

Urinary tract infections are the most common serious bacterial infections in young children, and almost one of every eight kids who gets one will end up with scarring on the kidneys and an increased risk of kidney failure later in life. Identifying those kids early is critical, and researchers now report that a combination of three factors -- high fever, detection of kidney abnormalities via ultrasound and identification of the type of bacteria involved -- spots such patients as accurately as a very unpleasant catheter-based test does. To read more,click here

NASET Sponsor - University of Cincinnati

Texas Failing Students with Special Needs says U.S. Dept of Education

Folks in the Lone Star State spend a good bit of time barking about how lucky they are to live in Texas. Fair enough. But if you happen to be a child challenged with a disability Texas delivers far more shame than game. "We are basically saying this is something that I'm willing to pay down the road rather than let these kids help themselves," said Robert Sanborn of the advocacy group Children at Risk. Unconvinced? Consider this - when it comes to teaching kids with special needs the U.S. Department of Education now says Texas public schools are performing so poorlythat immediatee outside intervention is necessary. It's a degree of failure shared by only two other states. To read more,click here

Clues to How Heavy Drinking in Pregnancy Harms Child's Brain

When a woman drinks heavily during pregnancy, the harmful effects on her child's brain development appear to continue over time, a new study indicates. The findings point to a possible reason for the persistent attention and behavior problems experienced by children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, the researchers noted. The investigators used functional MRI to monitor the brain activity of children with and without fetal alcohol spectrum disorders over two years. The results showed that children with the disorder had weaker brain activation while doing certain mental tasks than those without the disorder. To read more,click here

NASET MEMBER'S BENEFIT -

Group Savings Plus from Liberty Mutual

As a member ofNASETyou qualify for a special group discount* on your auto, home, and renter's insurance through Group Savings Plus® from Liberty Mutual. This unique program allows you to purchase high-quality auto, home and renters insurance at low group rates.

See for yourself how much money you could save with Liberty Mutual compared to your current insurance provider. For a free, no-obligation quote, call 800-524-9400800-524-9400 or visit

*Group discounts, other discounts, and credits are available where state laws and regulations allow, and may vary by state. Certain discounts apply to specific coverage only. To the extent permitted by law, applicants are individually underwritten; not all applicants may qualify. Coverage provided and underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates, 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA.

People With HIV May Be at Lower Risk for Multiple Sclerosis

People with HIV seem to have a much lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) than those who don't have the virus, a new study finds. This lower risk may be due to constant suppression of the immune system due to the HIV infection itself and/or the antiretroviral drugs used to treat the infection, according to the researchers. They said their findings could prove important in finding new ways to treat MS, a degenerative nervous system disease. The hospital study observed more than 21,000 HIV patients and nearly 5.3 million people in England who were followed for seven years. During that time, just seven people were diagnosed with MS instead of the expected 18 people. That means people with HIV seemed to be about 60 percent less likely to develop MS compared to those who didn't have HIV. To read more,click here

NASET Sponsor - SJU

Family Takes Special Education Fight To Social Media

Asa and Priscilla Maass' fight for their daughter's education has been a long one. But it's the last month that has felt longest. It's a story that they're now sharing with thousands of others through Facebook page entitled "Big Fight For a Little Girl." Nine years ago, their daughter Abigail was diagnosed with infantile autism. "Very early on we noticed her missing her milestones," Asa Maass said. "'Self-stimming' behavior where she yells out, the sensation that she gets from stuff like that...A lot of those behaviors started early." To read more,click here

Poor People With Diabetes Much More Likely to Lose a Limb: Study

Poor people with diabetes are much more likely to lose a limb to the disease than affluent patients are, new research suggests. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, found the odds of having a toe, foot or leg amputated was up to 10 times higher for diabetics who live in low-income neighborhoods. Most of these amputations are preventable if patients are diagnosed and get proper medical care sooner, the study authors noted. They added that their findings should prompt public officials to implement laws that help reduce barriers to health care. To read more,click here

NASET MEMBER'S BENEFIT -

Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET Members

Through an agreement with The American Academy of Special Education Professionals(AASEP), NASET members now have the opportunity to achieve AASEP Board Certification in Special Education - (B.C.S.E.) at a reduced fee. AASEP Board Certification in Special Education - (B.C.S.E.) is a voluntary choice on the part of the candidate. The candidate for Board Certification wishes to demonstrate a commitment to excellence to employers, peers, administrators, other professionals, and parents. From the standpoint of the Academy, board certification will demonstrate the highest professional competency in the area of special education. Board Certification in Special Educationestablishes a much needed standard for professionals, across disciplines, who work with exceptional children.

For more information on Board Certification in Special Education,click here

Federal Judge Dismisses Fresno Unified Special Education Case

A federal judge has dismissed a case brought by Fresno Unified against the family of a special education student who has been entangled in a costly legal battle with the district for years. Magistrate Judge Michael Seng said the district didn't have the right to bring the case against Krista Uribe, now 22, and her family since the district was contesting the remedy of a prior court's decision, not the decision itself. "I don't think it should ever have been brought," said Tania Whiteleather, attorney for Uribe and her mother Alice de Alba-Uribe. "The latest ruling is very appropriate. To read more,click here

Preschoolers Can Suffer From Depression, Too

Depression can strike at any age, even among preschoolers, researchers report. And if it does strike, the odds are that the disorder will recur throughout childhood, a new study shows. The study found that preschoolers who are depressed are two and a half times more likely to continue to experience symptoms in elementary and middle school, a research team from Washington University in St. Louis said. However, spotting depression in kids early on could make treatment more effective, they added. To read more,click here

Preterm Children Do Not Have an Increased Risk for Dyscalculia, New Research Suggests

Bad maths grades, poor participation in class, no interest in arithmetic. Preterm children often suffer from dyscalculia -- at least according to some scientific studies. A misunderstanding, claims developmental psychologist Dr Julia Jäkel, who has been studying the performance of preterm children.Thanks to modern medicine, the percentage of preterm survivors is constantly increasing. On the cognitive level, these children frequently have long-term problems such as poor arithmetic skills and difficulty concentrating. For a long time, research focused on high-risk children, born before 32 weeks gestational age or with less than 1,500 gram. Current studies from the most recent years, however, show that this approach is too short-sighted. To read more,click here

Honor Society for Special Education Teachers

Flores Bones Show Features of Down syndrome, Not a New 'Hobbit' Human

In October 2004, excavation of fragmentary skeletal remains from the island of Flores in Indonesia yielded what was called "the most important find in human evolution for 100 years." Its discoverers dubbed the find Homo floresiensis, a name suggesting a previously unknown species of human. Now detailed reanalysis by an international team of researchers including Robert B. Eckhardt, professor of developmental genetics and evolution at Penn State, Maciej Henneberg, professor of anatomy and pathology at the University of Adelaide, and Kenneth Hsü, a Chinese geologist and paleoclimatologist, suggests that the single specimen on which the new designation depends, known as LB1, does not represent a new species. Instead, it is the skeleton of a developmentally abnormal human and, according to the researchers, contains important features most consistent with a diagnosis of Down syndrome.To read more,click here

Participants Sought for Study Being Conducted by U.S. Department of Education

We are seeking Special Educators to participate in an interesting study funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Please forward this email to any people or groups you think might be interested in participating. Participants must:

Currently serve at least one student with complex communication needs at any grade level, including early intervention/early childhood special education.

Be responsible for developing communication-related IEP/IFSP goals for one student, as described above.

NOT currently use the Communication Matrix to evaluate students

Participants will receive an honorarium ranging from $200-$350 depending on the group they are assigned to.

If you are interested in further details about this study, please email cooal@ohsu.edu.

Persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have decreased activity in an area in the brain critical for understanding if his/her movement was imitated by others, researchers have found. Persons with ASD are known to have difficulty in interpersonal communication and have trouble noticing that their movement was imitated. Behavioral intervention research to alleviate ASD is proceeding and indicates that training utilizing imitation is useful.To read more,click here

NASET's Latest Job Listings

* Special Education Teacher - As one of the first charter schools in Illinois, Perspectives Charter Schools has a long record of preparing students for success in college and beyond. Our five schools across the South Side of Chicago offer students an education that combines character development and academic rigor through the A Disciplined Life education model-with impressive results. - To learn more - Click here

* High School/Middle School RSP Teacher - Camino Nuevo Charter Academy offers exciting once in a lifetime opportunities to teach in a K-12 charter school. CNCA seeks candidates who will use innovative curriculum and teaching methodologies to establish a culture of educational excellence through great professional development opportunities and team teaching. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Professional Opportunities - Come to the beautiful Pacific Northwest and join ESD 112's Special Education ESA, the largest Special Education service provider in Washington! We invite you to apply to be part of our dynamic team, which provides quality education to children, schools and communities in 28 districts. To learn more -Click here

* $125,000 Salary for Master Middle School Teachers! - Featured in The New York Times and on 60 Minutes, The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School is the school that pays its teachers a $125,000 salary to work on a team of master practitioners in an environment that values and develops teaching excellence. To learn more- Click here

* Executive Director - Horizon Academy helps students with learning disabilities. With a highly skilled staff and programming grounded in research through the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning, Horizon Academy is one of the finest schools of its type in the United States. - To learn more - Click here

Food For Thought..........

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I'll try again tomorrow.